The regime that applies
Australia requires every visitor to hold a visa or electronic authority, with no exception for any nationality. European passport holders generally use the eVisitor authority, which is free and granted online in minutes; others apply for a visitor visa subclass 600, with a full application, supporting documents and a fee. Some nationalities also need a transit visa merely to change planes.
Do not travel as a visitor intending to marry and stay
A visitor visa carries conditions, and some are issued with a "no further stay" clause that legally prevents applying for another visa from within Australia. If the plan is to marry in Australia, the correct route is the prospective marriage visa subclass 300, applied for from outside the country. Check the conditions printed on the grant notice before booking anything.
Biosecurity: taken very seriously
Australia has the strictest biosecurity regime in the developed world. Food, plant material, wooden items, seeds and many medicines must be declared on arrival, and undeclared items attract substantial on-the-spot fines regardless of intent. Declare everything — declaring costs nothing, failing to declare costs hundreds of dollars.
Health and money
No vaccinations required from most countries. Reciprocal healthcare agreements cover visitors from a handful of countries for urgent treatment; everyone else needs insurance. The sun is genuinely dangerous — the UV index reaches levels rarely seen in Europe, and skin cancer rates are the highest in the world.
Three rules that hold for every destination
- Use the official portal. Sites that "facilitate", "expedite" or "check" a visa charge for a service the state does not require, and collect your identity documents on the way. The official site is always cheaper and usually faster.
- A visa is not a right of entry. It is permission to present yourself at the border; the officer there decides. Carry the return ticket, the address of your stay and evidence of funds.
- Read your own foreign ministry's travel advice before booking, not after. It conditions your insurance and your consulate's ability to help.
The passport comes first
The commonest reason for being refused boarding is not the visa but the passport: insufficient validity beyond the return date, no free pages, a damaged document. Check it the day you decide to travel, not the week you leave — a renewal takes weeks.